List of 13 items.

• Language Arts

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  Language arts goals are to foster creative and meaningful expression of ideas by developing vocabulary, increasing reading and writing fluency, and furthering comprehension. Numerous techniques to support comprehension are shared and practiced in whole class lessons, guided reading groups and literature circles.
  
  Students read for pleasure and to gain information, also developing research skills. In writing, students will strengthen their use of mechanics, improve sentence structure, learn proofreading skills, and develop their voice. Applying the writing process emphasizes the importance of brainstorming, creating an outline, revising, editing for content, and proofreading for spelling accuracy, punctuation, and clarity. Students learn grammar both formally and in context. Vocabulary development is accomplished through weekly vocabulary study, the literature program, and is fostered during writing. Written expression is addressed through Writer’s Workshop, journaling, reports, letter writing and research. Students publish their written work in many different forms, including using iPad apps and digital story telling. Manuscript/print is practiced early in the year. Cursive handwriting instruction is reinforced and practiced extensively in the third grade.

  
  Sources:

  Journeys, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing

• Science

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  Units of Study
  
  

  Earth Science
  Moon Phases
  Spaceship Earth
  
  

  Physical Science
  Sound Waves
  
  

  Life Science
  Food Webs
  Biomes
  
  

  Sources:
  Mystery Science
  Generation Genius

• Mathematics

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  Third graders continue to use Go Math to advance their mathematics skills and understanding. The math program challenges students and focuses on their ability to effectively apply computation and problem-solving skills to communicate their increased understanding of number sense and algebraic thinking.
  
  Students broaden their repertoire of strategies in four critical areas: developing and understanding of multiplication and division, fractions, the structure of rectangular arrays, and describing and analyzing two-dimensional shapes. Advancing their application and understanding of mathematical concepts, students experience inquiry-based learning and engage with digital imagery that reinforces concepts and skills. The major objective is to offer hands-on investigative activities, develop different methods to solve math, and to employ a variety of techniques to strengthen student understanding. Technology continues to engage students in creative ways and provide them with opportunities to formulate a more comprehensive understanding of various mathematical concepts. Third grade students begin to reason abstractly and quantitatively in their interaction with math.

  
  Sources:

  Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Go Math!

• Social Studies

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  Students continue to explore the concept of community and culture on a greater scale. Activities and project-based learning focus on their immediate community and then broaden out to include other communities and cultures, especially Native American communities and cultures, and on cities, including Los Angeles. Through the study of various cultures and lifestyles throughout the United States, students learn to recognize and celebrate differences among social groups. Guest speakers, field studies, fieldtrips, and cooperative and digital projects increase student interaction with and understanding of key social studies elements.

  
  Source:

  Reflections, Our Communities, Harcourt School Publishers, ISBN: 0-15-338501-4

• Religion

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  Through the use of the Call to Faith, by Harcourt Religion Publishers, and other selected resources, third graders learn about God’s creation and their place in the Church community. Equally important, all third graders actively participate in daily prayer and are responsible for presenting the Christmas Prayer Service. They also tour and attend mass at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels during Lent as part of our study of the Church and how our faith connects us to the world at large.
  
  Students learn that as people of faith they continue Jesus’ work on Earth. They explore their individual gifts and talents and how these assist them in making choices as God’s children. Students study the mystery of the Holy Trinity and continue their study of the seven sacraments as a gift from Jesus to give us grace. Throughout the year, students develop a personal understanding of Jesus’ message and sacrifice on the cross by learning about the Mysteries of The Rosary with focused attention to both the Joyful Mysteries and Sorrowful Mysteries. During the liturgical season of Advent, third graders become familiar with Old and New Testament scriptures and create their own Jesse Tree ornament. They look forward to studying the roles of Church leaders and how they guide the Church in its mission.  Third graders have the opportunity  to create an individual rosary and to learn and recite the rosary by heart in honor of our observation of the month of May, the month in which we honor the Virgin Mary. Throughout the year, students continue their study of various ministries within the Catholic community and their application to daily life. 
  
  

  
  Sources:

  Catholic Children’s Bible

  Call to Faith, Harcourt Religion Publishers ISBN 978-0-15-902284-9

  Good News Pflaum Gospel Weeklies, Faith Foundation Program

• Art

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  Students are introduced to sculpture in third grade as they construct 3D whimsical Halloween witch hats from paper, tape, and plaster strips. They creatively paint and add decorative items to the hats and angels. A highlight to the year is a long-term project that offers students the opportunity to use technology to further their study of the Masters. Third graders use iPads to research and study the art of a particular Art Master. A portrait of the selected artist is created using sharpie and tempera paint and constructed with the look of a postage stamp. The art style of the master becomes the background of these vibrant portraits. To connect art with what they are learning in their Native American Indian unit in social studies, students make an Indian shield from recycled brown bags, adorned with Indian symbols, beads, feathers, and natural sticks. The year concludes with the creation of another 3D piece of art, which supports the 8th grade class play. Each year the art project changes to support the theme of the play and this 3D sculpture decorates the walls of the auditorium during the production.

• Drama: The Actor's Tools

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  Third graders take a deeper look at their actor’s tools. They learn pantomime and other movement techniques to tell stories and create characters using their bodies. Students practice projection, articulation, and vocal expression using specific warm-up activities. Finally, their imagination is strengthened through improvisation exercises and storytelling activities. They are able to use their theatrical skills to present information and tell stories from other content areas, such as the Native American mythology play presented to parents and friends in the spring.

• Music

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  Students are able to read pitches using the alphabetical notation system (A-G) and quicken their pace in their ability to read, write, and perform simple rhythmic patterns using eighth notes, quarter notes, half notes, dotted half notes, whole notes, and rests. They continue to practice their ability to read, write, and perform pentatonic patterns using solfeggio and corresponding Kodaly hand signals. Students learn how to sing a varied repertoire of music on pitch and in rhythm, while maintaining a steady tempo. They are able to sing expressively, with good posture, healthy vocal production, correct registration, and good diction. Students learn to play beginning recorder literature correctly and expressively with proper holding position. They can describe how specific musical elements communicate particular ideas or moods in music. Students acquire the ability to evaluate improvement in personal musical performances after practice or rehearsal through active listening to Christmas and Spring Concerts and regular class recording sessions. Students perform musical selections at the Christmas and Spring Concerts for the school community.

• Spanish

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  In this active and student-focused language course, students continue to learn Spanish with two classes a week. They expand their vocabulary as they continue to sing, play, read and create their own skits in the target language. Students practice speaking Spanish constantly in preparation for writing in the target language.

• Design and Engineering

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  In third grade, students build on their previous design and engineering skills, with a particular focus on computational, maker, and the design thinking process. They learn to create both visual and physical prototypes in an integration with science called the Moonbase project. Students ideate by creating visual diagrams of their design ideas, and physical models using recycled materials. Durng the year students begin to use more advanced tools like the laser cutter, Cricut, and glue guns for the first time. Students also have opportunities to reflect upon and showcase their work to an authentic audience through Maker Faires. Overall, third grade students are given more advanced design and engineering challenges, providing them with the opportunity to further develop their skills and creativity.

• Technology

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  The technology curriculum shifts to paperless in third grade as students focus on academic research and presentation skills through the use of digital media. Students continue building their keyboarding skills and one of the grade level's goals is to increase both speed and accuracy while maintaining proper keyboarding posture. They are introduced into a more active role as online digital citizens by utilizing various educational websites. Students apply their formatting text and graphic skills and use various presentation applications to create their own digital presentations.

• Physical Education

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  In third grade physical education, students will further develop their physical skills and engage in a variety of challenging activities. This will include individual and team sports, such as volleyball, soccer, basketball, football, track and field, softball, and baseball to encourage teamwork, cooperation, and friendly competition. In addition to physical play, the curriculum will also include lessons on fitness and the importance of regular exercise.  
  
  

  Third grade students will have the opportunity to demonstrate their leadership and teamwork skills by taking turns leading warm-up activities and participating in small sided games. The curriculum will also emphasize the value of good sportsmanship and positive behavior, helping students understand the importance of fair play and treating others with respect. By the end of the year, third grade students will have a solid understanding of physical fitness and the skills necessary to participate in a variety of team sports.

• Library

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  Students continue to reinforce and build upon their library skills and concept knowledge. As third grade students’ reading skills improve, they apply comprehension strategies to increasingly complex reading selections. They read a wide representation of grade level appropriate text, including classic and contemporary literature, periodicals, online information, and informational text. Students continue learning about types of literature by focusing on award winning books, folklore and fairy tales, fact and photo nonfiction, and realistic fiction. They become more sophisticated users of the school library, understanding the purpose of the library catalog, the information on the spine labels of books, and how specific resources in the library are organized. The reference resources used by students include the thesaurus, atlas, almanac, and specialized content reference materials in both print and digital formats. Students learn the skills necessary to access the information in these materials, including the use of guidewords, indexes, alphabetical order, chapter headings, author notes, and dedication. They are able to recognize the need for information and ask more detailed questions to help focus their search for information. Key words are identified and used to perform searches in the automated library catalog and in approved search engines or databases to locate relevant resources. Students determine the currency of information by identifying the publication and copyright dates in print and electronic resources. When resources are located, students select information appropriate to the problem and determine if the information answers their questions. Students take notes and apply techniques for organizing these notes in a logical order, such as using an outline or digital organizer. They develop a basic understanding of intellectual property rights, including the difference between sharing and ownership. Students continue to adhere to the acceptable use policy as their use of campus technology develops and grows.